Shaheen parts company with Renato conova

you're a real a$$hole, "watchful eye". do you really think you needed to say that on a public forum?

I remember very well our talk before Prefontaine meeting, may be you don't understand what I told. I explained that KB didn't prepare, during the years 2006-2007, his main event (10000m), because in 2006 there were not Championships, and he preferred to try something else. Something else, for Bekele, also for renewing his motivation, can be in two different directions :

a) Moving to something longer (Marathon), but this needs a long period for changing the physiological attitude, reducing the consumption of glycogen at Marathon Pace

b) Moving to something shorter, looking for the record of 3000m and World Indoor Championships.

Kenenisa chose the second option.

What I explained you was that also the greatest runner of the event, if for long time doesn't do specific training (for example, 4-5 x 2000m with short recovery very fast, and a lot of long fast run), goes to lose his specific attitude. This was clear in Mombasa (WCCCh), when he lost from Zersenay Tadese (the reality is he was not prepared for 12 km in hot and humid conditions, requiring a cost asd a HM, not a case the 2 champions were the WChampions of HM, Zeersenay and Lorna Kiplagat), and was also clear in Osaka, when he almost lost from Sihine, and was more clear in Bruxelles, when he tried to beat his WR without any chances, almost losing from Moses Masai.

But Kenenisa was able to understand his mistakes, going back to a specific preparation for long distance. He already showed his new-old attitude during WCCCh, when he won very easy, after loosing a shoe. SO, BEFORE PREFONTAINE, I TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO BEAT THE RECORD BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RABBITS, I TOLD HE WAS NO MORE THE SAME OF 2005 (When, my opinion, he could run under 26'10"), BUT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO BEAT HIM BECAUSE HIS SHAPE WAS, IN ANY CASE, 95% OF HIS TOP.

During an interview I had for the Kenyan newspaper "Eastern Standard" from Omulo Okoth dur4ing Beijing, when he asked me "which tactic is possible to use for beating Bekele", I answered "To wait he becomes old".

So, I think you don't understand, or you have a very poor memory.

What I explained you is that, for an athlete like Bekele or Shaheen, the most difficult thing is to maintain the same motivation after winning everything. Before the race, I told you Bekele had to show if his motivation was still the same of before, but also I explained that, after WCCCh, I supposed he was back, because of Olympic Games. And, about Shaheen, you are speaking of somebody that had a list of 26 following victories, from 2002 and 2006, never losing, 2 World Titles, 1 World Record. And you don't know anything about the reason of his pain in the knee, due to an impact against the door of his car, not to his training. But is easy to speak without knowing, like happens in Italy when people talk about soccer : we have 40 millions of selectors, everybody has his explanation and knows better than Lippi (that won World Championships...) the situation of the players.

I am the first fan of Kenenisa, that for me comes immediately after Gebrselassie in my personally classification for the best runners all time in 5000/10000m. I never was jealous of anybody, I have too much respect for the hard work of the top athletes and for their coaches for being jealous of somebody else. But, when there is some situation to analyse (good or bad), I don't fear to give my explanation, that sometimes can be wrong, but is always honest, not depending on factors of personal interest.

For speaking, is better to know. Also who wrote the post with the name of Kim, showed not to know anything about the real career of Shaheen. He was with me from 2001, he follows (without I knew) the programs I prepared for Christopher Koskei, after becoming sick and stressed during the winter camp in Australia, and after it he, without any coach, but following that program, moved from 8'19" to 7'58", World Junior Record. That was the reason because he asked Christopher to speak with me, for becoming his coach. If it's true that, till the end of 2003, I was with him not very long time, giving programs and staying in touch mostly by phone (because at that time I was the Technical Scientific Director of Italian Federation, and I had no time to stay in Kenya long periods), from the beginning of 2004, when he became Shaheen and I signed with Qatar, I was with him between 250 and 330 days every year, with a maximum in 2007/2008. But for me this is not Athletic. I cannot be connected with one athlete only, also if is the best in the World. This is not what I want, and personally I don't think is the best solution for the athlete, too.

So, the reason of our split is very simple : at the moment, we don't agree about the way to use for becoming the number one again.

How I explained before, I remain the fan number one of Shaheen, because my heart is always with him, and I hope to be wrong. If the final results show I was wrong, I will be very happy, because it means Shaheen is the number one again. Of sure, I don't wish him a bad prosecution of career, for showing I was right.

But, at 64 years of age, I want to follow what I think better, and not what other people want I do.

I don't think Americans will be able to catch the Kenyans because of our inactiveness as society as a whole and it only continues to worsen as we get older.

But how would we Americans make it? Is it more a matter of emphasizing aerobic development at a young age, or are their things we cant control, the most obvious argument from american runners is that kenyans or east africans for that matter are endowed with great genetics that make them predisposed to be great runners.

How do you feel about the potential of Latin American runners in the future? Certainly Brasilia has brought big stars such as Ronaldo do Costa, Vanderlei de Lima, and Marilson Gomes dos Santos. Mexico too has brought many great runners, many that won the New York City Marathon in the earl/mid 1990's.

I think that athletics in Latino America needs to be promoted, we clearly overemphasize on futebol, boxing, and baseball.

great post, and I agree completely

Renato:-

you say Shaheen could have won the olympics 3000 steepleeches since koech was not in it,does that mean in your opinion Brimin Kipruto is not good enough? or is he doing the wrong event? i Also wish to know your opinion about Veronica Nyaruai running in the 3000SC ,Do you reckon she has a future in the steepleechase? By the way kudos for Rita Jeptoo's performance in NYC marathon in which she was 4th,i think the performance marks a big improvement in her.Jeptoo has the talent and physical ability to beat a world class field but in my opinion she needs to toughen up mentally.i also reckon you should sign her up for London marathon next year instead of Boston,i think she needs a different sort of challenge.

I think Brimin is a very strong runner, but he was not able to improve his time during the last 4 years, also if still very young. When a young athlete is not able to improve, it means that the performance he usually does is around his limit.

He can be the best in this era, that, in my opinion, is one of the worst periods for steeple.

After athletes as Kiptanui, Wilson Boit Kipketer, Barmasai and Shaheen in Kenya, and Boulami in Maroc, now we are at the same level of 32 years ago, when 3 europeans (Garderud, Malinowski and Baugartl) ran in Montreal between 8'08" and 8'10". In 1987 Francesco Panetta destroyed the field in WCh in Rome, running 8'08" with the last 40m for greeting spectators.

May be that Shaheen killed the event. Without any pathos for 5 years, he mentally destroyed all the other athletes, among them Paul Koech only had the real talent (but not mental) for running at top level.

As result of this fact, organizers canceled steeple in the most part of meetings, and in any case put the level as "promotional", that means the winner in a top meeting can have 4,000 USD.

So, who can move from steeple to another event preferred to move (may be on the road too), who was a "full" steeple runner lost motivation. Typical example Ezekiel Kemboi, the only having the same talent of Shaheen in competition, but very lazy in training.

In races about 8'10", Shaheen at 75% can win, if we speak of a Championship, because nobody has his personality.

About Rita, I was not too much happy about the 4th place in NY. When won Boston, the shape of Rita was very much different. But there is an explanation : before Boston, she was for almost 3 months in the camp in Iten, I could follow her personally using some male as pacer, and everything was completely under control.

After that victory, she built a house in Ngong, and trains with her husband, Noah Busienei (nickname Bush), that is a good coach, but without top experience. I give the programs, but, when I can follow the athletes directly, a lot of times I go to change, looking at the conditions of weather, of the athlete, of the group around.

The big problem for Kenyan athletes training in Kenya is the lack of control in training. When, for example, I write 5 x 5 km in 17'15" recovering 1 km in 4'15", NEVER the top women respect recovery time. For a Kenyan, to read in a program "recovery" means to jog, not understanding that for marathon running more slow, but in any case at a pace moderate, is a very important workout for increasing the Specific Marathon Endurance.

So, now Rita (as Selina Kosgei) is a good marathon runner, but not one of the top, as 2 years ago I could suppose.

We see next year, also if the program seems looking for something else....

Your input to the running community is always appreciated by many people. You are truly a tremendous coach and wonderful person.

Thank you again for your information

As the official Massengill Man, I hereby pronounce you douche of the year. Congratulations!

Seconded, I always enjoy his posts and am sure many others do as well.

Thanks for the answers Renato alot of what you say makes sense.You however ,did not answer the question about veronica nyaruai doing the steepleechase.By the way i see Moses Mosop is back on top form.Hey don't give up on Rita jeptoo yet i think you have actually 'realised' where the problem is (i read between the lines of your answer) i think however that Rita herself desires to do better and is prepared to work hard and listen to you but perhaps 'BUSH' is calling the shots.

Renato,

What is the problem when an athlete mechanically has a problem running the recovery of such workout (say, 4 x 5km in 17:15, rec. 1k in 4:15)... what if the 17:15 is not the problem, but the 1km in 4:15 causes muscles to tighten because of slow-down in pace? What is the problem?

First Fan

Renato

You are clearly a very intelligent coach and i think that you should ignore some of the stupid comments on this board.

I am an english 17 year on the edge of national representation for cross country. I want to run 1500m in the summer. I was wondering if you could please tell me what you think of my winter program, which I made myself.

Mon - 30 mins steady + 30 Min bounding and striding + circuit

Tue - 1h at increased tempo(10 min w.u., 40 tempo, 10 min w.d)

Wed - Repeat Monday

Thur - Repeat Tuesday

Fri - rest and pilates class

Sat - a.m. 30 mins easy

p.m. cross country race or hard hilly fartlek

Sun - 1h+ easy

All of my routes are hilly, and i stretch after each run

Thanks very much

Jake

About Veronica, it's very difficult to have a correct opinion. She showed some attitude, running her first attempt in 9'37" without any specific preparation. After that performance, also because she didn't have any chance for going to Olympic in 5000 or 1500, she opted for that event in Kenyan Trials. Her race was crazy : she ran very fast the first km, putting Eunice Jepkorir almost 50m behind, but, of course, started to become too tired when had still half race to go. When you are really tired in steeple, you go to lose more than in a flat event, because you are no more able to overtake the hurdles, and your water jump becomes a hell.

Veronica landed in the last 3 water jumps every time in a worse way, losing a lot of time, practically finishing jogging. Kenyan coaches put her in the Olympic Team as technical choice, looking for her 9'37" and her crazy race, thinking that, with a good period of technical training and a different distribution of energies she could run under 9'30" in Beijing.

During the camp, despite the interviews of some Kenyan coach (Veronica improved a lot under technique, now is ready for a top result in Olympic), she didn't improve in her technique, and went to run her heat with the same mistakes of Trials. She started too fast, fell down in the water jump ruining the race of 10 other athletes too, tried to join the group again with a sprint without any logic, and at the end finished herself, without any idea of steeple.

But, because her 9'37" was without specific preparation, I think she can become a good specialist if decides to "prepare" steeple, not only to "run" steeple. To prepare and to run are 2 different things, exactly like to prepare a marathon or to run a marathon.

Too many times, for African athletes, the idea of running an event is not connected with the idea of a specific preparation. Also for some top athlete, there is the idea that there is only ONE SHAPE : when you feel ok, you are in shape. This is a mentality like amateurs.

Instead, there is a SPECIFIC SHAPE for every event. If a marathon runner is able to improve his PB in 1500m, of sure is completely OUT OF SHAPE for the full marathon.

If Angelo Taylor is the best in 400m flat, at the same time doesn't run his PB in 400 hs. The specialism, at top level, is too much important.

So, if you are Shaheen running 12'50" in 5000m without any specific preparation for steeple, you can run 8'03". If you are Shaheen WITH a specific preparation in steeple but with a little shape in 5000m, you can run again 8'03". If you are a Shaheen running 12'50" WITH a specific preparation for steeple, you can run 7'53".

We have a winner!

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